Shattered
by Mouse In The Corner
Summary: Abuse was nothing new for Nathan Lee. Deb ignored the fact that her husband, Keith, was abusing Nathan until he landed in the hospital with a second-degree burn. Then she fled. Now, it's up to Dan Scott to unbury Nathan's past and help him have a future.
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to Shattered, my new one tree hill story. It's supposed to be a NP fic with minor hints of LB. I hope you all review. This chapter is more a sneak peak than anything else.

I DO NOT OWN ONE TREE HILL. This works for all chapters.

--

"What do you mean he's in the hospital?" Dan Scott asked, leaning forward in his office chair, his hand clenched on the phone.

_"His left arm is burned pretty bad--we're going to have to leave it in a sling for awhile. I know you don't have legal custo_dy of _Nathan Lee, but you are his only other known relative---"_

"What about his parents?" Dan questioned, suddenly feeling uneasy.

_"Arrested--parental rights revoked," the voice over the phone explained. __"Please meet me at the hospital__, Mr. Scott. I'll explain everything there. I'm Marc Henderson--I'm Nathan's doctor."_

"Of course," Dan replied, hanging up the phone with an uneasy feeling in his gut. He'd tried pursuing custody of Nathan, but Deb had insisted that she'd do a good job raising him, then moved him out of state, refusing to allow Dan visitation rights.

He exhaled slowly, wondering what on earth he was getting himself into. He shook his head, pulling out his cell phone. "Come on, Lucas!" he said, calling to his fifteen-year-old son, who was home from school that day. "We've gotta hit the hospital."

"I thought Mom said I wasn't sick enough to need the hospital?" Lucas asked, but grabbed his Tree Hill hoodie anyway and then threw on his shoes, following his father out the door.

"No, remember how I told you about your half brother, Nathan?" Dan questioned, knowing he had, but also remembering that it had been nearly two years since he talked about it.

"Yeah, I remember you talking about him. Why?"

"He's in the hospital," Dan replied, feeling bile rise up in his throat at Keith. He forced himself to shake it off, knowing that wouldn't help the situation. "Alright, come on, Lucas, we gotta get going."

--

"Alright, Nathan's waking up," the nurse replied as she gently wrapped a cloth around Nathan's arm. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine," Nathan replied, not offering any more information. Truth be told, it stung a lot, but he tried not to offer any more information than he had too.

"Nathan, we need you to tell us the truth, honey," the nurse replied as she placed the arm in a sling.

"It stings," he admitted, not revealing any more information then he had too.

"It's alright--everyone has some sort of stinging reaction to that," the nurse reassured him. "Your father will be here soon--""

At that, Nathan yanked himself away, not wanting to see Keith anytime soon. "Okay." he said, worried what remarks Keith would have to make to the doctors, that he or Deb would no doubt have to make up for.

"Dan Scott? Right this way."

At that, Nathan winced, wondering what he'd done for Dan Scott, Mighty Of Mighties, to come down. He rolled his eyes. Keith had always warned him that the end of the line was with Dan--and then, he was out on the streets.

"Hi, you must be Nathan," Dan Scott greeted him. Nathan chose not to respond, but did offer his hand, trying to swallow the rather large lump in his throat. "What treatment is he going to need, Doctor?"

_Locked up in a prison cell, no doubt, _Nathan thought to himself. He knew that if was what Keith was here, that was what he would do.

"Rest," the doctor replied with a firm voice. "A lot of rest. Normally, I would have Nathan stay in the hospital a night or two for observation, but his bruises don't look too bad, and if he's going to a house, not a group home--"

"He'll be staying with me," Dan reassured the doctor.

"Good. Then I've got no qualms letting him go home early. I'll notify the people at the front desk, and you can help Nathan get his things--"

"They're together," Nathan's caseworker snapped. Her name was Kerry Nicholas and already Nathan hated her. "We didn't unpack them."

"I didn't imply that you _did,_" the doctor replied with a tense smile. "Actually, Kerry, I think once Dan signs the release papers, you're free to go."

--

Nathan remained quiet as the car pulled up to the house. Lucas had let him sit in the front seat, although he really wasn't sure what good it was doing. His arm still hurt, and the sling made it hard to manuver around. _Mom, I miss you,_ he thought, trying to blink away his tears.

Despite what the social worker said, Deb had always done her best for Nathan. And he had always done his best for her. When Keith was drunk, Nathan usually stepped in, yelling at Keith to get his attention away from Deb, and Deb would sneak away, getting the first aid kit ready for when Keith passed out.

This time, though, Keith had gone too far. Nathan had burned Keith's supper, and rather than wait for it, Keith took Nathan's arm and pressed it against the on-fire burner for several seconds, causing it to become red. Deb had rushed him to the hospital, and finally told them the truth. She told them to call Dan, Nathan's birth father, and that she couldn't keep him, and that Keith was an "SOB who was abusing them both."

Nathan had broken down in tears--why _couldn't_ Deb keep him? But social services had come, anyway, and found several of Deb's drugs. Even if Nathan had wanted her to raise him--which he did, rather than this rich, Dan guy--it wasn't an option, thanks to Deb's chemical dependency.

"Anyone home?" Dan asked, and Nathan jumped slightly, surprised at the sudden attention. "You okay, Nathan? How does your arm feel?"

"Fine," Nathan replied. He tried to keep his answers to one word only, not wanting to reveal any more than he had to.

Dan glanced at Nathan, trying to judge if the boy was telling the truth or not. "We're home, Nathan," he said with a half-smile, pulling into the driveway.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the great reviews, I always enjoy reading the reviews. (So if you're reading this take a quick hit at that button)._

Here's the next chapter of Shattered.

Disclaimer: I don't own one tree hill. If I did, I'd actually have to research the medical stuff to make sure it's right.

---

_The next Monday (five days later) _

Nathan leaned back against the wall. His arm hurt, but he didn't really care. He didn't feel like telling Dan it hurt anyway. If Dan was anything like Keith (and they were brothers—as far as Nathan knew) Dan would just laugh and not do anything about it.

He really wished he could put _something _on his arm, though, or take some painkillers. The burn had come back in the middle of the night and it was _throbbing_. As a result, Nathan spent most of the night awake. "Lucas?" he asked, blinking as he saw the teenager open the fridge.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," Lucas replied with a smile as he looked at his half-brother. "How's your arm?"

Nathan toyed with the idea of telling Lucas it didn't hurt, then decided this was probably his only chance to get medical attention for it all day. "Hurts like hell," he replied, then winced as he remembered Dan's lecture on cussing.

"I'll get some antibiotics," Lucas promised as he set the milk on the kitchen table. "You eat?" he asked.

"Am I allowed?" Nathan asked, then kicked himself for asking a stupid question. Although Keith had his own set of rules, he had ordered Nathan to learn others' rules—without asking stupid questions like this.

"Of course," Lucas replied as he sat out a second bowl. He didn't even bat an eye, and Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll go get that first aid kit."

Copying Lucas' example, Nathan reached in the cupboard and pulled out a box of cheerios. They weren't his favorite, but they were all he could find, and he was never one to pass up food. "Thanks," he said, pouring his milk as Lucas trampled back down the stairs.

"You're welcome," Lucas replied as he set the first-aid kit down on the table. "I gotta take your arm out of the sling—"

"I've had worse before," Nathan responded, shocked at his own boldness. Well, Lucas wouldn't have to know they were from Keith. "I can get it."

"Nathan, half your arm is burned. I've got it," Lucas replied with a braver attitude then he felt. "It'll take me about a minute to get this off—"

"I got it," Nathan snapped, taking off the sling and laying it on the table. He only wore it after the doctor insisted; Keith would never go for such an outward sign of weakness. As Lucas slowly rubbed the cream on his burn, he wondered if things had gone from bad to worse or from bad to better.

---

Although almost nobody would know it, Nathan liked school. He enjoyed talking to the different types of people and enjoyed goofing off as well. He really enjoyed learning, but Keith thought bookwork was stupid, and as a result, Nathan was usually banned from doing his homework.

The fight that actually got Nathan pulled out was fairly normal: Keith yelling at Nathan that homework was stupid, and Nathan yelling back…

_Flashback_

"_Why the hell won't you let me do my homework? __Normal__ parents let them do their homework, even __if__ they fail! If they fail it still counts—it's better to do your homework and fail than to not do it at all!"_

"_You remember that conference in fourth grade about you failing your homework?" Keith spat back, edging dangerously close to Nathan. Nathan could smell the liquor on his breath and stepped back, bumping into the stove. He decided to start edging sideways. _

"_Keith, they just wanted me to work harder. I don't understand why you wouldn't let me do my damn homework— OW!" Nathan yelped in protest as Keith grabbed his arm. "What are you doing? Get off of me!" _

"_What are you going to do, scream for Mommy?" Keith taunted, twisting Nathan's arm back. Nathan tried to shove Keith out of his way, but Keith wouldn't move, only grabbed Nathan's arm, as if he was holding it hostage. "You like fire, Nathan?"_

"_No," Nathan whispered. It was no secret that Nathan was terrified of fire. Nathan suspected it was the hundred-something burns on his shoulder that had to do with that. Keith often used Nathan's arm as an ashtray. Nathan never protested, knowing that the second he did, Keith would turn around and beat on his mother. _

"_Good." Keith turned on the stove and Nathan squirmed, struggling to get away. _

"_I'm sorry, I won't do my homework," Nathan responded, pulling against the refrigerator, still trying to pull away from Keith's grasp. "I won't turn it in, alright? I'm sorry!" _

"_Too bad," Keith sneered as he pressed Nathan's arm against the hotness of the stove._

_Nathan screamed._

"You okay, dude? You look like you zoned out for a second," Lucas responded, handing Nathan his textbook. They'd been placed in the same classes so Lucas could help Nathan lug his books around.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," Nathan replied, shaking his head, attempting to clear it. "My brain hurts, that's all. What class is next?"

"Math," Lucas grinned back. "My least favorite."

"Then why are you grinning?"

"My girlfriend, Brooke, is in the class," Lucas said with a grin. "Do you date? There seems to be an epidemic of non-dating going around. But I think Peyton's available. Her last boyfriend dumped her, and she's look—"

"I'm not really looking right now, Lucas," Nathan responded. Dating was always a big no-no; besides, he didn't really care. Most of the girls preferred to go out with the football players on his old team, anyway. "I just got here like yesterday, and I'm already enrolled in school."

"Actually, that's not quite true. You've been here for five days—"

"Shut up," Nathan responded, tossing Lucas a dirty look as he stepped into the classroom. He didn't apologize. He didn't even pay any attention to Peyton, who stepped in after him. Half the boys in the class willingly did that for him.

"Hey, Lucas. How are things going?" Peyton asked with a smile as she placed her book on the desk.

"Good," Lucas replied with a grin.

"Is this the half-brother I've been hearing so much about?" Peyton responded, raising one eyebrow.

Nathan blanched as he processed Peyton's information. "What the hell do you mean, half-brothe—"


	3. Chapter 3

This is dedicated to the fact that I finally saw my first ep. of One Tree Hill last week—and that I got my permit. Yay me!

As requested, more of Nathan's reaction to Peyton's statement.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.

--

"Lucas?" When Lucas turned to face Nathan, his face was curved downward, almost trembling. "What does she mean, 'I'm your half-brother?'"

Luckily for Lucas, the bell rang, saving him from further explanation. He turned in his English homework, wondering how on earth he was going to explain that Nathan was his half-brother. He wondered why Keith had never bothered to tell him, or his dad, for that matter.

He was allowed to breathe until class got out. "Lucas?" Nathan demanded, his face having a scared look on it. "What does she mean about me being your half-brother?"

"Come on, Nathan," Lucas replied with a sigh. "Let's grab lunch and talk."

"Let's not grab lunch—I want to know what the fuck she's talking about!" Nathan demanded angrily. Keith always used 'lunch' as an excuse to avoid talking about something. Or, when he was drunk, had fun shoving Nathan into the closet, saying, _'I'm bigger than you—what now?' _

"I'm not avoiding it, Nathan, I'm just hungry," Lucas replied, standing in the lunch line. Nathan followed, still furious, his face still red.

---

"Who's the new kid?" Brooke asked Peyton with a grin, her smile edging upwards for the first time in what seemed like days.

"That's Nathan—he's Lucas' half-brother," Peyton replied with a frown as she looked around for Jake. "Although I think I wasn't supposed to tell him that detail..."

"Nice going," Brooke responded as she watched the two brothers move into the courtyard. "Say, is he single?"

"Brooke!" Peyton slammed her lunch tray down in exasperation. "You can't hit on him!"

"Why not?"

"He's Lucas' half-brother, for one," Peyton explained, "and I think you should talk to Lucas about why Nathan is suddenly living with him. I don't think he's ready for a girlfriend, yet."

"Did his family get rid of him?" Brooke questioned, looking around to try and see him.

"Brooke!" Peyton protested, nearly spitting out her soda. "God, don't you let _anyone_ have _any_ secrets? Give the guy a break—he just got here, for crying out loud."

"What happened to his arm?" Brooke asked, sitting on the edge of the table, not bothering to use the chair.

"Why don't you ask him?" Peyton demanded, furiously setting down her glass. "Never mind—never mind—dammit, Brooke!" she got up and followed the brunette outside.

---

"I'm sorry," Lucas apologized as he took a long drink of his milk. "I thought Dad told you."

"No, he didn't. He never even mentioned it, and neither did Keith. Dammit, Keith always pretended to be my real dad, you know? Said I should call him dad—when I was allowed to speak at all, that is," Nathan replied as he rubbed his arm self-consciously.

"Does it hurt?" Lucas questioned as he looked at his half-brother with concerned eyes.

"No," Nathan lied, leaning back against the tree.

"Don't lie to me, Nathan. If it hurts, we can get it looked at by the nurse."

"Hey, guys!" Brooke exclaimed as she raced out to the courtyard. "How are you, Luke? And what's your name? Are you his half—"

"Shut up, Brooke," Peyton ordered, grabbing Brooke by her T-Shirt. "Sorry, Lucas."

"Let go of me, Peyton, I can ask the kid what I want," Brooke replied, pushing against her best friend. "So, what's your name?"

"Nathan," Nathan replied hesitantly. "What's yours?"

"Brooke. Care if I sit?" she asked, sitting down next to the tree.

Lucas rolled his eyes and motioned for Peyton to sit down, as well, hoping to avoid upsetting Nathan even more. "Brooke, be nice to Nathan. It's his first day here, don't scare him away."

"Shut up, Lucas," Nathan retorted angrily. "I don't need babied."

"I never meant that--," Lucas replied, then groaned as Nathan kicked his tray and stormed off. Lucas quickly followed him as the teenager ran towards the trees.

"Nice going, Brooke," Nikki complimented, smiling as she moved from behind the trees.

"Shut the hell up, bitch," Peyton replied, giving Brooke a tenderhearted hug. "And leave Nathan alone—he doesn't need any mind games from you. Remember, you already had a baby."

"It's not mine," Nikki responded with a dismissal of her hand. "Jake already won custody."

"Good, keeps her away from _you_," Peyton sneered. "And leave Nathan the hell alone."

"Why should I? He's fair game—just like every other guy at Tree Hill." Nikki laughed devilishly. "Let the games begin," she added, disappearing into the shadows once more.

"I'm sorry, Peyton," Brooke replied as she collapsed on the ground. "It's my fault."

"No, it's not," Peyton said, even though she wasn't happy with her. "Look, Nathan is just a little sensitive right now, okay? Give him a chance to get adjusted."

"Seriously, though?" Brooke questioned, looking at her best friend to see if she'd tell her the truth. "What happened to his arm?"

---

"Hey, Nathan, take a chill pill, man," Lucas replied, panting as he ran after the teenager.

"Shut up," Nathan replied as he moved through the underbrush. "Leave me the fuck alone. First you can't tell me that I'm your half-brother, then you can't tell me that your BFFL is the most obnoxious person on the planet?"

"She's not my BFFL," Lucas replied, catching Nathan's sore arm before seeing the sling and remembering it was sore. "Sorry, Nathan, just—she's always like that, okay? She's got her problems too."

"Oh, yeah, I suppose her dad uses _her_ as an ashtray," Nathan sneered, walking back dejectedly towards the school, leaving Lucas to wonder what Nathan meant.


	4. Chapter 4

_Shattered_

--

Nathan remained silent as he entered the house. Although nobody else could tell because of his calm demeanor, he was furious. Why hadn't Dan told him that he was his father? Why hadn't he put in a claim for custody? Why had he let him suffer so much with Keith?

What gave Dan the right _now,_ after all these years, to be his father? To put in his claim for custody? After all these years?

"Are you alright?" Lucas asked as they entered the door.

Nathan just gave Lucas a look as Lucas set his backpack next to the door. He decided he hated Lucas and Dan. How could Lucas know how he felt? Dan had been his father all his life. What would he think if he suddenly found out, for example, Karen wasn't his mother?

"I want custody of my son back!" Deb yelled angrily. Nathan winced as he heard his mother's voice. Wasn't she in _jail?_

It didn't matter—Nathan would have loved to be under his mother's custody again. Especially if she ditched Keith. "Mom?" he silently asked himself, not believing his eyes.

"Nathan!" Deb turned to him, relieved. "Come on, let's go. We're leaving, right now."

"Deb, I think it's best you and I continue this conversation in private," Dan replied as he placed his arm on her.

She shrugged it off angrily. "I'm walking off with Nathan." She lowered her voice. "If you try and stop me, Dan, so help me God about what I'll do to Lucas."

"Deb," Dan said, lowering his voice so it showed his anger, "Either you talk with me or _privately _or you get out of my house right now!"

"Fine," she replied angrily. "I'll get out of your house. Let's go, Nathan."

"Mom," Nathan said, glancing at Dan, unsure of what to do.

"I said _let's go_, Nathan!"

---

Nathan sat in the passenger seat of Deb's car. He wanted his mother—he really did—but he could tell that she was on the verge of being drunk. Dan had tried to stop him, and Lucas had called the police, but Deb had dragged him out of there. "Mom?" he asked quietly.

"Shut up, Nathan," she ordered, turning right in front of a police car.

"Mom, are you drunk again?" Nathan asked, grabbing at the wheel of the car.

"Shut _up_," she ordered angrily. "Dan doesn't want me to have custody of you, Nathan. If you really don't want to be here, I've got no problem turning around and taking you back. Do you know what Dan's like? Have I told you what Dan's like?"

_He hasn't gotten drunk yet, _Nathan silently thought. But he stopped his protests, and went silent.

---

"What was he wearing?" the police officer asked as he scribbled something down on his notepad.

"Red zip hoodie, jeans, and sneakers," Dan replied. "White sneakers… Nikey, I think," he said quietly. He sank down to the couch. "God, I should have stopped her. I don't know what I was thinking—" he let out a breath, exhausted. "I tried, and she shrugged me off, and it all happened so fast—"

"Do you believe Debra is emotionally stable?" the police officer asked.

"I think she was drunk," Dan replied with a sigh. "I was pretty sure I could smell whiskey under her breath."

Lucas just sat on the couch. "I think it's partly my fault he went with her," he admitted tiredly, rubbing his eyes.

"Why do you say that?" the police officer asked, turning towards him.

"Because Peyton told him that Dan was his father, and—"

"I never got a chance," Dan finished, cursing softly to himself. "Oh, God. He must hate me!"

---

Nathan leaned against the motel bed. "Mom, your name isn't Martha Lewiston," he replied softly.

"Shut up, Nathan," she responded as she stretched on the bed. "I don't feel well and I'm going to bed."

"Mom," he replied softly, but sighed when she saw that she was already asleep.

_She must be right, _he thought softly. If Dan had cared about him at all, he wouldn't have let Deb taken off. Oh, he'd tried, but he should have tried harder.

Slowly, he laid down on his 'bed', which was really the floor.

He remembered why he was suddenly happy not staying with his mother.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five (Shattered)

_It's a little short, but it's here. Enjoy!_

--

"I can't believe I let her just walk out," Dan muttered as he sank at the table. "You should have seen her, Karen. She was so wasted. And she had a gun, to boot. I think that's why I didn't charge after her—I know what she can do when she's drunk. I can't believe Nathan just walked off with her! As soon as we get that kid back, we're getting a GPS tracking device for him, and he's not taking it off."

Karen exhaled slowly, counting to ten while she formulated her response. "Dan, I think Nathan's very attached to his mother. You read his file. He's stopped a lot of her beatings in the past, and she always got out the first aid kit whenever _he _was injured. The second day he was here, he had a screaming fit that he wanted to live at his mother's—or did you forget that?"

_Flashback_

"_I'm not living with you," Nathan yelled, his face flushed red. "I want to live with my mother. And I want to see her right now." _

"_We can't do that, Nathan. She can't have your custody until she completes a drug rehab program." Karen knew it was pointless to try and reason with Nathan when he was so upset—she'd tried it with Lucas many times and it never worked. _

"_I hate you," Nathan spat, grabbing the nearest thing on the counter and throwing it at her. "I'm not living here. I'm running away and moving to Florida!" With that, Nathan stormed to his room. _

"I know," Dan replied with a sigh. "I think the FBI are here," he replied as he heard the knock on the door.

"The FBI knock?" Karen asked, getting up and following him.

---

Nathan slowly got out to the car, his face still reeling from where Deb had hit him. All he'd asked was where they were going, and she'd slapped him—something she had promised never to do.

"_I'm sorry, Nathan, I'm sorry," Deb reassured him as she cleaned his knee. "I will never, ever be like Keith."_

"Mom?" he asked softly. "Have you decided yet?"

"Yes," she replied. "We're going to your grandparent's."

"Last time I was there, Grandpa practically drowned me. Or do you not remember that?" Nathan spat, then bit his tongue.

_Flashback_

"_I can't breathe, Grandpa," Nathan protested as he spat out the water in his mouth. "Pl-lease don't, I can't breathe—"  
_

"_Shut up, Nathan," Royal replied as he forced Nathan's head back under the water. "Any grandson of mine needs to have lungs of steel!" _

"I stopped them, didn't I?" Deb snapped angrily. "Shut up." She picked up the book that was laying on the dash. "Here. Starting from now on, you're home schooled. Do your schoolwork."

---

"How are you holding up?" Haley asked as she sat next to Lucas outside the café. "I heard. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Lucas replied automatically. "Sorry. I just get used to saying that with Nathan. He flips out every time he thinks he did something wrong."

"So how are you holding up? You didn't answer that," Haley teased softly.

"I don't know," he replied halfheartedly. "I mean, it's so surreal. He just walked out and left. And Dad did _nothing _to stop Deb. I mean, we should have—I don't know, overpowered her or something!"

"It's not your fault, Lucas," Haley reassured him. She leaned back against the wall. "I heard that the FBI stopped by?"

"They're looking into it. I guess Deb's wanted for some drug stuff—big-time. Hey, Brooke."

"Hey, Lucas," she said, sitting down. "How are you feeling?"

"Long day," Lucas admitted. Then he frowned. "Long week," he added.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Just came over to say the FBI needs to talk to you. Hey, did you hear that Dan and Karen are considering getting a GPS tracking device for you? That means no more midnight trips to my house," she said with a pout.

"No, they're considering getting a tracking device for Nathan." Lucas grinned and kissed her on the lips. "And I would never miss our little midnight trips," he said laughingly.

---


	6. Chapter 6

It was another night and another hotel. They were now about five hundred miles away from Dan's house, from what Nathan could see from the dashboard.

This hotel was even more run-down than the last one, and Deb had gone out. Nathan was hurt. He had hoped that when Deb regained custody of him, things would be different, and that she would stop taking off to so many bars.

Yeah, right. Who was he kidding?

He rolled over, covered himself with the blanket and tried to go to sleep. He knew they would reach his grandparent's house soon, and he was terrified of going there. A drunk Royal was even worse than a drunk Keith.

"Mom?" he asked quietly as he heard her slip in the room.

"Nathan," she replied softly, a small smile tracing her lips. "I didn't want to wake you."

"I never fell asleep," Nathan reassured her with a sigh. "Mom, can we please not go to Grandpa's? I can't go back there, Mom. We just got out of Keith. You remember what happens when—"

"Nathan, I'm really not in the mood," Deb snapped angrily, and Nathan could see that she was clearly wasted. He wondered if she would be able to drive the next morning. "Look, Nathan... I know you and Royal had some disagreements," she said, "but he's nothing like Keith. And why aren't you calling him 'dad'? Keith would flip."

"You _know_ Keith isn't my dad," Nathan spat angrily, suddenly furious at his mother. He tried to swallow it, knowing anger would get him nowhere, especially when Deb was drunk.

"Did Dan tell you that lie? Nathan, that's exactly why we're not going back there. He's a liar, Nathan. A liar. I can't stand the thought of you going back there," Deb replied with a sigh. "Just—just shut up and go back to sleep, Nathan," she said. "Look, tomorrow we're going to stay at one more hotel, then we're going to go to your grandparent's and I'll find some stable employment. I already enrolled you in school."

"I thought you said I was home schooled," Nathan responded quietly. He never trusted what Deb was saying when she was drunk.

"Shut up, Nathan! I am your _mother_. I can decide to change my mind. Royal enrolled you. He thinks it will be best for us all. Go to bed, Nathan, and wake me up in the morning."

---

_Late that night_

"Mom?" Lucas asked as he came downstairs. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied tiredly. "Just paying bills. The FBI should be here soon."

"At the cafe?"

"Guess they want breakfast," she replied jokingly. She exhaled slowly. "Lucas, do you have any idea where they might go?"

"I hate to sound sassy, but Mom, we hardly talked. Although there was that one time—"

_Flashback_

"_So, since you hate Tree Hill so badly, where would you go if you could get away?" Lucas questioned, leaning back against the house. _

"_Definitely not my grandparent's," he replied with a tense smile. "It just wouldn't work out. I can't go anywhere. I'm trapped under you guys. Why do you even want to take me in, anyway?"_

_Lucas paused, knowing he had to consider what he was going to say carefully. "We care about you, Nathan," he replied, wondering what else he was supposed to say. His parents were supposed to be the ones reassuring the teenager, not him. "Plus, since Dan's your f—"_

"_Hey," Brooke called out, saving Lucas from answering. "You didn't come to my house last night," she pouted._

"_Brooke..."_

"That reminds me," Lucas said, practically bolting out of his seat. "Mom, he mentioned his grandparent's. He said, 'definitely not his grandparents'. Maybe he wouldn't go there, but his mom might!"

"Good thought," Karen replied, grabbing the phonebook. "I hope she doesn't go there, though. Royal is a pain in the ass."

"_Mom_!"

"Well, he is. Remember the time I had to rescue you when he tried to drown you?"

---

_The next morning..._

"You didn't wake me up!" Deb accused as she glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly 10:00. "Nathan, you didn't wake me up!"

"Mom, you were _wasted _last night," Nathan protested angrily, looking half-heartedly at the calendar. It was his fifteenth birthday. Some birthday. He was stranded in the middle of nowhere, with his mother wasted, or having a hangover. Nathan half-hoped she was wasted. Hangovers were always hell.

"Yeah, but I sleep 'em off a lot quicker than Keith," Deb retorted. "Listen to me, Nathan. You may think this is a vacation but I don't give a damn. You're _sassing _me!" She smiled happily. "Oh, and we don't have to go to your grandparents," she added.

"Really? Where are we going?" Nathan's smile grew even wider.

"That's a stupid question, stupid," she responded with a smile, opening the door. "Keith got a job. He's moving back in."

"What? Mom, he _burned_ my arm!"

"And you got it fixed, didn't you? Shut up and be polite," she said with a smile. "Keiiiiith," she said with a happy grin. Then she frowned. "And who is _that_ kid?"

"Lucas," Keith replied, coming into the room and loosening his tie. He shoved Lucas into the bedroom. "I had to pull some stunts. God, Deb, why didn't you tell me you already had gotten Nathan's custody back? Then we wouldn't have had to feed him." He turned and grabbed Lucas' arm forcefully. "_Sit down_!"

"What were you thinking?" Deb demanded angrily. "Kidnapping Lucas? Don't you know that Dan will be after us now?"

"Well, I wouldn't have _taken _him if I had _known_ you already had Nathan. I only grabbed Lucas with hope that Dan would tell us where Nathan was. But it's okay." Keith exhaled slowly. "Are you wasted, Deb?"

Nathan stole a quick sneak-peak at his half-brother, if that was indeed who it was. He looked exhausted. Keith had clearly pulled him out of bed. "Kei—Dad," he replied, "I think we should—"

"Shut up, Nathan," Keith ordered, and Nathan grew silent. "Deb, what name did you check in under?"

"Tessa Marshall," she replied with a smile. "I'm so glad you're back, Keith."

"Me too," Keith said with a smile. "Come on, Lucas, Nathan—" he froze. "We'll have to change your name," he said to Lucas. "It's Tyler," he said. "Let's go," he added.


End file.
